GE’s location leads in ecological soundness, apprenticeship, professional development and energy balance.

JENBACH, AUSTRIA—October 19, 2017—GE (NYSE: GE) announced today that GE’s Distributed Power plant in Jenbach, Austria has been recognized with the GEO Award as part of the Factory of the Year 2017 competition.

The “Factory of the Year/Global Excellence in Operations (GEO)” competition is a benchmark for manufacturing companies and, according to the organizer, the toughest for the manufacturing industry in Europe. Reflecting the development of modern production systems that combine lean management with operational excellence, it has been conducted by consulting firm A.T. Kearney and trade journal “Produktion” since 1992.

GE’s Brilliant Factory in Tyrol manufactures Jenbacher* gas engines and cogeneration plants. The intelligently networked factory with its high level of digitalization interweaves manufacturing, individual business processes and lean principles. Digital tools and a value stream analysis make processes for punctuality of delivery, quality and cost efficiency transparent along the entire value chain. Visualization using real-time data helps reduce the time spent on non-value adding actions.

“Winning the GEO Award category of the Factory of the Year competition is a great recognition for our work,” says Martin Mühlbacher, site leader for GE Power in Jenbach, Austria. “The award shows that we are moving in the right direction and are up with the latest trends, and it is a clear acknowledgement that we are doing many things right. The GEO Award motivates us to advance the Brilliant Factory concept and support our staff by furthering the digital transformation.”

Other key criteria for the award are ecological soundness, apprenticeship, professional development and energy balance programs. The Jenbach plant has a virtual energy center based on Predix*, GE’s IIoT platform that controls the heat and power supply of the cogeneration plant. In addition, the test benches supply ecological sound heat and power to the coating line and offices. The excess electricity is fed into the local grid.

Apprenticeship and professional development programs in Jenbach focus on digital transformation as cultural change. Based on this principle, up to 110 talented young people are trained in Jenbach every year.

*Indicates a trademark of the General Electric Company.

About the Factory of the Year/GEO Award

Regardless of the results, all participants in the Factory of the Year competition receive a detailed, confidential evaluation in a feedback report that informs them of their position in the competition and points out potential for improvement. Since its start in 1992, more than 2,000 factories have used this benchmark competition to analyze their own strengths and weaknesses and develop enhancements. Further information: www.Fabrik-des-Jahres.de www.geo-award.com

About GE

GE is the leading digital industrial enterprise. GE is changing the industry through software-based technologies and solutions that are networked, responsive and future-oriented. GE’s store of knowledge is global and lives from the continuous exchange made possible by the “GE Store,” in which all business units share their technologies, structures, and knowledge and are able to access the same resources. Every invention drives innovation, creating new application possibilities in our industry branches. GE speaks the language of industry: With its employees, services, technologies, and resources, GE delivers better results for its customers. More information is available at our website: www.ge.com/de

About GE’s Distributed Power

GE’s Distributed Power business is a leading provider of engines, power equipment and services focused on power generation and gas compression at or near the point of use. Distributed Power offers a diverse product portfolio that includes highly efficient, fuel-flexible, industrial gas engines generating 100 kW to 10 MW of power for numerous industries globally. In addition, the business provides life cycle support for more than 35,000 gas engines worldwide to help you meet your business challenges and success metrics – anywhere and anytime. Backed by our service providers in more than 100 countries, GE‘s global service network connects with you locally for rapid response to your service needs. GE’s Distributed Power business is headquartered in Jenbach, Austria.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) imagines things others don't, builds things others can't and delivers outcomes that make the world work better. GE brings together the physical and digital worlds in ways no other company can. In its labs and factories and on the ground with customers, GE is inventing the next industrial era to move, power, build and cure the world. www.ge.com